Chandigarh Stakeholders Welcome UT Administration’s Move to Reclaim Sector 10 Tennis Stadium
Stakeholders hail lease cancellation as bold step, seek CBI and ED probe into alleged corruption at CLTA.
Chandigarh, Sept 16: Key stakeholders of Chandigarh’s tennis ecosystem have hailed the Union Territory Administration’s decision to cancel the lease of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) and reclaim the Sector-10 Tennis Stadium. They termed it a bold and long-awaited move to restore fairness, transparency, and opportunities for budding players.
At a press conference, sports lawyer and senior player Prasang Raheja, Chandigarh’s top men’s player Neeraj Yashpaul along with his father Ajay Yashpaul, Nagendra Saroha (father of India’s U-16 No. 1 Ribhav Saroha), and former CLTA coach Roshan Lal Saxena welcomed the decision taken by the Administrator of UT Chandigarh and the Sports Department officials.
Raheja, who has highlighted alleged irregularities in CLTA’s functioning through RTI disclosures, demanded further investigation. He alleged siphoning of funds under the Chandigarh Academy for Rural Tennis (CHART) scheme, tax evasion through misuse of charitable exemptions, and illegal construction of a hostel within the stadium premises in violation of lease terms—where a POCSO case also surfaced.
“Lease cancellation is not merely an administrative act; it exposes corruption, safeguards children, and paves the way for genuine development of tennis in Chandigarh. I urge the Administrator to de-recognise CLTA and order a CBI and ED probe,” Raheja said.
The stakeholders collectively demanded a CBI inquiry into the misuse of public assets, ED investigation into alleged money laundering and siphoning of CHART funds, forensic audit of CLTA accounts, and immediate closure of illegal hostels and sub-leased facilities.
Supporting the move, Neeraj Yashpaul said, “Now, under the Sports Department, deserving players can finally train in an environment built on merit and fairness.” His father added that despite Neeraj being Chandigarh’s top player, he had suffered due to bias and mismanagement.
Nagendra Saroha described the decision as “long overdue,” while former coach Roshan Lal Saxena, who alleged harassment during his tenure at CLTA, said the takeover was “a ray of hope for a brighter future for tennis in the city.”
